Kathy Bates Struggled to Walk Before Losing '100 Pounds' in Last 6 Years: 'I’m Ashamed I Let Myself Get So Out of Shape'

Kathy Bates looks amazing after losing a significant amount of weight in recent years.

During a new interview published Wednesday, September 11, the American Horror Story star, 76, opened up about her weight-loss journey while explaining how she was able to keep up with the busy filming schedule of CBS' Matlock reboot, which premieres on Sunday, September 22, and sees Bates in the starring role of attorney Madeline "Matty" Matlock.

"It’s helped me tremendously that, over the last six or seven years, I’ve lost 100 pounds," Bates confessed to a news publication. "I don’t think I’ve been this slim since I was in college."

The Family Affair actress recalled reaching her heaviest weight in 2011, the same year she starred as lawyer Harriet "Harry" Korn in NBC's legal comedy drama series Harry's Law.

"I had to sit down every moment that I could," Bates admitted of her time on set more than a decade ago. "It was hard for me to walk. I’m ashamed I let myself get so out of shape, but now I have a tremendous amount of energy."

The award-winning actress previously opened up about her weight during a 2019 interview with Extra, stating, "this is the best health I've been in in years, and I'm so grateful. It's a miracle," after revealing she had lost 60 pounds.

"I was facing diabetes — it runs in my family — and I really didn't want to live with that," the Disjointed actress explained before sharing a tip her niece taught her when trying to lose weight.

"After you eat for 20-30 minutes, you experience an involuntary sigh," she detailed. "It's communication between stomach and brain telling you you had enough. … And what I discovered is if you listen to that sigh and push that plate away for just five minutes, you realize you're satisfied, and you don't have to eat more."

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Now that she's feeling healthy and happy, Bates isn't sure when she'll actually stop her career despite recently confessing she was "contemplating semi-retirement."

"My friends say I’ll probably be like Molière and die in my chair on the stage," she quipped. "Because it really is a life force for me."

In an interview with The New York Times earlier this month, Bates claimed "this is my last dance" when discussing her upcoming TV reboot series.

"It becomes my life," she mentioned. "Sometimes I get jealous of having this talent, because I can’t hold it back, and I just want my life."

Reflecting on her time in Hollywood, Bates said she always "felt like a misfit," noting: "I never felt dressed right or well."

Variety interviewed Bates.